Variety: Sumatra Typica By 1700, seeds from Yemen were being cultivated in India. In 1696 and 1699, coffee seeds were sent from the Malabar coast of India to the island of Batavia (today called Java in Indonesia). These few seeds were the ones to give rise to what we now know as the distinct Typica variety. This crop is managed with regenerative agriculture.
https://varieties.worldcoffeeresearch.org/varieties/typica
History of Back Bay Estate Sumatra Typica Arabica
Original crop of 270 trees + 215 trees, all from 25-35 years old. We purchased a small farm adjacent to Back Bay Estate in 2021. The crop of 215 trees belonged to Esna & Ralen, who were part of the Farm Adoption partnerships prior to Covid 19. Esna still has short term crops on part of the property, but all the arabica is now part of Back Bay Estate.
Leaves from both arabica plots were sent in for analysis and variety identification. While the local name for this arabica is Lasuna, the variety is identified as Sumatra Typica.
Lisa has applied rejuvenation pruning and regenerative farming practices to this crop of 600 trees. Intercropped with Avocado, Banana and Leguminous shade trees. Flowering heather for pollinators, lantana for pest control and ground covers to help control drought and increase nutrient cycling for arabica crops. Since 2016, the luscious, elongated fruit of this variety has provided a nano lot which is processed as a dry natural or washed for our Siamang Forest roasted beans.
BUY THE BEANS: Want to try green or roasted beans? Go to SHOP
SEEDS or SEEDLINGS
Seeds are all hand selected by Lisa from cherry harvested during peak harvest weeks. Cherry is pulped and fermented briefly to allow for full wash of parchment. The parchment is dried to 15-18 % mc. All seed or seedling purchases come with a Back Bay Estate Variety Certificate of Authenticity. Use links below for more information and to purchase directly from the website shop.
Seedlings are sold as bare root plants
Regenerative Agriculture Practices
BIODYNAMIC: All Farm waste and Processing waste are turned into compost for crops. All Crops are shade grown with nitrogen fixing trees. All plots are planted with nitrogen fixing ground covers and flowering plants to support insect wildlife and natural pollination. All plots are planted with multiple fruit and berry trees around the perimeters to provide food and shelter for hundreds of birds and attract predatory birds. Rain water is cycled through for multiple farm and processing operations. Reforestation and agroforestry of Siamang Forest to supply additional food and income for people and feed multiple wildlife species within the farm and forest.
ORGANIC: No herbicides; No Pesticides; No chemical Inputs; No Inoculants or additives during processing.
SUSTAINABLE: Renewable resources are used for buildings. Renewable energy is used for home and office. Minimal energy footprint for generators which are only on for processing operations. Locally sourced raw materials reduce transportation costs. Shipping internationally as part of a consolidated container whenever possible to reduce energy use.
Lisa Matthews, founder and director of BBE and SFP (content creator)